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Post-tsunami survey reveals negative social changes in affected communities
Driven to despair
Communities affected by the tsunami have started losing self-confidence and are displaying characteristics of insecurity. They are in a state of frustration. Their expectations in educating the children in better schools or achieving occupational targets as well as their hopes of building a house and developing their property have been shattered. Also, their behavioural patterns have changed and certain unhealthy features have crept in.

This is the picture which has emerged in a post-tsunami survey conducted by the Research Consultancy Bureau (RCB), a professional research organization, on behalf of Sarvodaya, with assistance from the World Bank. The survey was conducted among community leaders representing the tsunami-affected communities in the south and the east. Six focus groups of community leaders with direct experience in post-tsunami relief and reconstruction efforts, participated in the survey. The survey covered the southern areas of Koggala, Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa and the eastern areas of Vakarai, Kattankudy and Kalawanchikudy.

"Their frustration has been further aggravated when some communities realized that they are now no different to the poorest families in their community before the tsunami,” the report says.
The report identifies the following indicators of behaviour:

Self-centred
Opportunistic
Indifferent

It claims that there appears to be four overlapping social categories prevailing since the tsunami — hence the culture is a mix of the following mindsets:
Category A: Those who believe in collecting or requesting for as many items as possible, property or cash for a better future (Collector). Category B: Those who believe in getting the best to enjoy life and do every thing possible at present (Enjoyer).

Category C: Those who are keen to get back to pre-tsunami life through conventional means with support (Returnee). Category D: Those who believe that they should depend on someone to shape their life (Depender).
As a result of such mindsets and behaviour of people, several changes in society have been observed. These include:

More pregnancies
Interest in sex and marriage
Deteriorating religious values and relationships with temple and church
Upgrading to stronger or better alcohol, cigarettes and other vices
More people consuming alcohol with some of them having more money in their hands and others on the pretext of drowning their worries and overcoming sadness

The motive for getting married is to obtain goodies which are given per household. There is also the possibility of getting a house if it is a family unit.
Meanwhile, several of the communities have acquired new characteristics due to their tsunami experience.

Collectiveness is one such feature. Some of the community members are keen to share their resources to develop the community, as they believe that collectively they will have more bargaining power, through which they will be able to reach better standards in life. They are appreciative of the assistance provided and often stress the need for harmony, unity, protection and the importance of caring.

Animosity is a key factor that the community leaders repeatedly mentioned. It was inevitable for some community members to be living in bitterness and their reaction to be arrogant and argumentative. This behaviour does not help the community member or society.

Some have developed self-pity. They pity themselves and this has made them to lead a passive and helpless life with low self-respect. This has resulted in carrying out demeaning acts while others seem to be expecting the government to take charge of their lives.

A main concern of community leaders is the laziness of community members where lethargy is becoming common behaviour. This behaviour is partly due to the free flow of sustainable income and goods from charitable institutions.
A tendency to be ungrateful has developed among some members in the community. They don't appreciate the efforts put in by the government, NGOs, other voluntary organizations and individuals. There were instances where recipients made a mockery of what was given.

Dishonesty is another trait noticed among individuals. The whole process of relatively unmanaged distribution of goods and services seems to have resulted in propagating dishonesty. According to the community leaders, the members of the community tend to make false claims to get more.
A sense of fear has crept into many. The frightening experiences of the tsunami have made some of the affected live in fear. This in turn has affected the fishing industry more than any other, as some fishermen are reluctant to go fishing due to a fear of the sea. Some of these fishermen are in a confused state, which is not in keeping with the personality of a fisherman. Hence they try to justify their attitude by referring to the assistance they have received from charitable organisations.

Jealousy between the communities has gone beyond brotherhood or social relationships that they had prior to the tsunami. A typical comment made by a leader in the south explains this point. “They didn't get proper assistance because they are living within the 100-metres. Those who are living away got one to one and a half lakhs from the government. Then a foreigner gave another lakh each and then private companies gave two lakhs each. See the total they got! Then the foreigners came round and gave other goodies -- an almirah, a TV, a set of chairs, a dining table, a cassette, two beds, two mattresses, a gas cooker and a cylinder. Even after having a gas cylinder they took the one that the foreigners gave too. The goods were worth 85,000 rupees. They were also given cement, bricks and stones. But others are yet living in tents because of the 100m rule.”

Greed seems to be the key value change since the tsunami. Members of the community have become greedy and selfish. The evolved behaviour is such that some of the members are collecting and working towards getting all the assistance from the state, NGOs or other sectors. To do so they are willing to carryout somewhat unfair or dishonest practices.

The difficulties that communities have gone through seem to have changed the public life of individuals. The mechanisms used to get assistance have made the tsunami-affected people, especially women, to be less self conscious. Hence certain social barriers have been broken where some youth seem to be comfortable whilst others find it difficult to adjust to the changed behavioural pattern.

Looking back on the initial relief operations, the community leaders were positive about the timing and the manner in which food was provided. Though some leaders have experienced food shortages, by and large they accepted that the best was done under the circumstances.

The distribution of clothes was well received by the leaders and there were many instances where women were able to protect their self-respect. However, subsequent over-supply of clothes had created a certain unpleasantness where a 'refugee feeling' hadcrept in through receiving non-wearable clothes. The leaders were thankful to some NGOs for their untiring commitment to uplifting the livelihood of the community and consistent support to date.- D. C. Ranatunga

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